Additional parenting workshops will be available this spring at Project Self-Sufficiency. A course for Fathers will be offered at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, March 5 through April 30. Workshops for parents of school-aged children will be held at 6-8 p.m. on Wednesdays from March 6th – May 1. Participants will learn about the different stages of physical and emotional development during childhood, as well as techniques for positive discipline and improved communication. The classes are co-sponsored by the Sussex County Family Success Center and Project Sussex Kids, the Sussex County Council for Young Children. The sessions are free and open to the public, but registration is required. The agency is located at 127 Mill Street in Newton.

The parenting classes offered by Project Self-Sufficiency follow the Nurturing Parent curriculum which teaches age-specific parenting skills and includes components designed for parents as well as children. The workshops encourage parents to share their experiences with each other.

“The ‘Nurturing Parenting Program’ fosters the capacity of children and parents to trust, care and respect other people and their environment,” explains Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “The curriculum emphasizes the reinforcement of positive behavior, attachment parenting, nurturing discipline and gentle touch, like infant massage.”

The curriculum is supplemented by small group discussion for adults along with play groups for children which reinforce the weekly lesson plans.

“This course offers a group dynamic where families can share experiences and learn from others in similar situations,” adds Berry-Toon.

The Family Success Center at Project Self-Sufficiency is a program of support offered to all families. In addition to parenting skills training, local families can participate in family activities, receive information about health and nutrition, take part in economic self-sufficiency programs, receive legal education, obtain referrals, and other services throughout the year. Project Sussex Kids, the Sussex County Council for Young Children, has been designed by the New Jersey Department of Children & Families to address the needs of local families who are expecting or who are parenting young children. County Councils for Young Children have been established in every New Jersey county to bring together parents, caregivers, as well as health, education and social service professionals to enhance communication, coordination and collaboration of services.